My 2006 4Runner Limited V8 has developed a gasoline odor on driver's side of vehicle near driver's door and front fender after driving it a few miles. Also noticing a longer starting process. After releasing the key the starter continues to turn for a longer time, but vehicle does finally start. Now doing this more often, than just when the vehicle is cold. But gasoline odor is constant, and has started doing this for about a week now. I think that both issues are related, because the starting issue developed right before I noticed the gasoline smell at the left front of the car. I do not find fuel leaks anywhere under the 4Runner. But fuel smell is very strong. Gas consumption on this tank full seems severely more. I noticed that at 1/2 tank of gas, I have driven several less miles than my last tank full. I usually get 200 miles out of a half tank of gas, and now only have 155 miles on a half tank used.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?? I have appointment with local Toyota Dealer next week to address this problem, and annoying driver's seat popping and creaking noises. This was addressed before, seat problem went away, but months later came back. More noticeable on a hot day. It seems to be the plastic vinyl band around the seat base where power seat controls are. When I grab areas around the seat finisher band at seat base while driving around, the sound is not as bad. But when I let go, the popping sound return. VERY ANNOYING!!!! Great vehicle, but seat drives me insane. It's worse after the vehicle sits outside on a hot day, and you get in and drive somewhere while it's hot. SNAP CRACKLE POP, RICE KRISPIES!!!! It's horrible. You think that the seat is falling apart. ANY POINTERS WOULD BE GREAT!!!!

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=52963

Seems your not the only one lately. I notice this is your first post, please post what the dealer finds out if anything for this other members sake and for more knowledge for our members!

Welcome!

I just responded to the link Eskimochaos has listed in his thread. Hope my response helps. I've had a couple of intermittent starts where it took a little longer than normal, but nothing even remotely persistent. Are you running high octane fuel? If you are, take a couple tanks of the cheap stuff and call me in the morning. As far as the odor goes, does it smell like sulfur/rotten eggs (attributed to the catalytic converters on the 4R's) or does it smell like gasoline. If it smells like gasoline, you might have a fuel leak which you should have fixed ASAP.

As for the seat pop/creak, I just started experiencing that a few months ago, I took it into the dealer and they performed a TSB on it (I don't have the TSB number unfortunately, sorry) but it still persisted. I WD-40 the heck out of the seat tracks and that kept the problem at bay for a while, but it is slowing sneaking back on me. I'm about a thousand miles away from my warranty expiring so I hope to get it resolved before then.

Best of luck and keep us posted.



Oh, and welcome.

My Toyota Dealership say that they have found the problem with the Gasoline Smell. It's a fuel line above the fuel tank that's leaking, and they had to order the fuel line. They have to drop the fuel tank to install the new gas line above the fuel tank. I asked if the line was metal or rubber, and the tech told me that he thought the line was rubber. The tech should know if the line is rubber or metal, shouldn't he?? I told him that I wanted to see the broken line when work is complete to see if it was from a rodent. I live in the country, and rodents such as squirrels and such have made nests under our 2003 Chevy Avalanche, chewing speed sensor wires, 4WD Actuator Wires, and other lighter damages. I'm thinking if a rubber fuel line, that this was the cause. But I doubt very seriously if the gas lines are rubber. I'm no mechanic, but common sense makes me lean toward metal lines instead of rubber lines. I know that my gas mileage has decreased by 100 miles per tank, and I know that I have not seen a fuel leak in the driveway, but have noticed the fuel smell being very strong at the left front fender area of the car. No where else this strong.

Glad that found the problem. After hearing your luck I presume it was an animal as well. Let us know!